by Shane Henson — October 7, 2013—Former President Bill Clinton recently announced a global Commitment to Action to the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge during the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting held in late September.
The Commitment to Action, led by the Rockefeller Foundation and shared by Swiss Re, the American Institute of Architects, Architecture for Humanity, and Palantir, will support at least 100 cities to hire a chief resilience officer (CRO), create a resilience strategy, and provide access to tools, technical support, and resources for implementation, including access to innovative finance for infrastructure development. According to the Rockefeller Foundation, 100 Resilient Cities will also create a network for CROs to share information and best practice.
The Commitment to Action will be realized through a new organization, 100 Resilient Cities, which will coordinate both the network of cities as well as an innovative platform of services offered to network members.
Such an organization is needed, Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Judith Rodin notes, because building resilience cannot be done by a single actor or sector, no matter how innovative or passionate they may be. According to Rodin, building resilience requires a shared vision and investment among a range of partners, including cities themselves.
A focus on building resilience strengthens cities’ ability to prepare for and bounce back more quickly from the inevitable shocks and stresses they will undoubtedly face, whether because of extreme weather resulting from climate change, seismic events, or terrorism, says the Rockefeller Foundation. Given that by 2050 an estimated 75 percent of the world’s population will live in cities, the Rockefeller Foundation says it sees building urban resilience as an imperative of the 21st century.
100 Resilient Cities will select the first round of cities to join the network following the Challenge process, upon the recommendations of a panel of esteemed judges. Cities around the world were invited to participate; to date, more than 500 cities registered. Selected cities will be announced on December 3, 2013 at the Rockefeller Foundation’s annual Innovation Forum.
